The Smuggler
| Published date | 01 October 1935 |
| Date | 01 October 1935 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X3500800407 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
The Smuggler
INthe January,
1935,
issue of THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
an
article, entitled "
Under
the Influence ", illustrated how
the time of a Police Court and of the police can be wasted for
several hours on a case which ought to occupy at most
ten
minutes. Speaking as a layman, I should have thought that,
when a man pleads guilty to a trivial charge, it is totally
unnecessary to bring in an array of witnesses to prove facts
which have already been admitted by the prisoner in a signed
statement. Sometimes witnesses--often unwilling witnesses
-are
subjected to a cross-examination of so inane a nature
that one might imagine an attempt is being made to prove the
prisoner innocent, despite himself.
The
following case may be of interest in this context.
It
is the verbatim report of proceedings at which I was myself
present.
The
names are, of course, fictitious.
CLERK
OF
THE
COURT.
George Washington Johnson,
you are charged with bringing into this country fifty cigars
on which Excise Duty amounting to one pound one shilling
and a penny was payable to His Majesty's Customs. And
that
you did wilfully and knowingly attempt to evade payment of
the said duty. Are you guilty or not guilty ?
JOHNSON.
Me guilty.
l\1AGISTRATE.
Doesn't the prisoner understand English?
JOHNSON.
Me know English. Me speak a little English
but
me bring cigars for friend.
MAGISTRATE.
Do you understand what a serious charge
this is ?
J
OI-INSON.
Me don't understand
much-but
me bring
cigars. Me couldn't afford to pay.
2E 433
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